<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
However if I wanna release everything I catch thats also my right.Could you at least keep a few of those abundant slimy hammer handle pike that need to be thinned? The rest of us would all benefit.
do you???
Come you guys they make excellent pickled fish material. I do my best to help.
Why has it become so taboo to keep a limit? It’s a resource that’s there for us to eat. I love eating fish. When I lived in ND I kept fish often and always had at least few meals worth in the freezer most of the time. The chest thumping about cpr reminds me of how vegans just HAVE to tell you they are vegan.
I don’t think that at all. It’s not really chest thumping from the C&R community.
My purpose in putting this out was to reveal what I already highly suspected. One being how attitudes and expectations have evolved.
When I was growing up in the 1960’s early 70’s releasing was unheard of. Modern times have changed and many anglers choose to limit themselves to take what they feel they want for a meal or two, not because they’ve reached the legal limit. This is telling.
Secondly, which I also anticipated was the difficulty in catching 6 walleye a day worth keeping.
And we all are aware of the special reg lakes (waters) which does change the dynamic. And interestingly, many of the remaining waters without special regs and allow a 6 fish bag limit are one’s that have populations least likely to support that.
So part of this are perceptions and how that is managed.
Will reducing the limit to 4 affect harvest any more than to what extent it affects perceptions?
BTW, thanks for all the responses…a lot to digest, if only in my own head. 
Thanks dirty water!
I’ll bet I ate a total of 3 eyes myself this year.
I don’t understand what all the fuss is about, but I do know a lot of people who really enjoy a fish fry.
I do work hard to bring a fry to a gathering, despite not enjoying the stuff much myself, I enjoy the snot out of people enjoying a meal together.
Gimme a baked, bone in pike! Yummy!!!!
I keep a few each year and don’t share them much!
I fish a fishery abundant in fish. Lots of folks don’t, I get the difference.
So, it’s my assumption that folks would THINK they’ll catch more if there WERE more. Yeah, I can argue for that, sure! Put more eyes in a lake that has few, I’d catch more certainly. Put more in my fishery… and my rates will be the same.
I’m all for regulating individual lakes. It isn’t easy to catch a fish that isn’t abundant! I get humbled enough to know abundance doesn’t mean easy either.
I see it all the time on my abundant fishery, where folks just struggle. 
That includes ME, you, and everyone else I’ve ever come into contact with. There’s times when they biting, times when they kinda biting, and times when they ain’t biting. The times when they ain’t, or kinda are, aren’t really important in this point. It’s the days where they’re GOING and I see people using patk’s fishing report (hope I got that right lol, the new “call a guide for what’s not working”) not catching anything, despite a great bite happening.
So, I’m under the impression of a desire for folks to catch more fish and their tool to do so is to have more fish in the water. I see that strategy fail often!!!!
A faster more efficient path to catching more fish is investing more time in learning to catch fish.
It can be quite a frustrating puzzle to convince fish that are there, to bite when they don’t want to. It’s humbling to realize it was you doing it wrong and the fish were on the chew!! When you hear how well someone else did and you flopped!
You could ask Bret King the about the first time he met me on P3, we had a mutual friend at the time or I wouldn’t have ribbed him so hard!
You might be thinking, shut it Andy, you fish the river. Yes. One section of that great fishery is in Minnesota inland waters, therefore regulated by mn limits.
do you???
Come you guys they make excellent pickled fish material. I do my best to help
I actually do keep a few for pickling. I hate cleaning them though. They’re not bad pan fried out of cold water either but I’m not proficient at removing their y bones.
Stay in a sleeper on LOTW once a year. We. have a fishfry while there and try to bring home a limit sometimes it happens sometimes not. Used to do milleaces also but the regs are so strict we quit going. I’ve caught my limit on the criox a few times. Green Bay a few times and once and a while will get a limit of crappies. My wife and I love fish and will have it once a week if possible. If Im staying,eating, and drinking in the bar and spending $500 in tourist money going through MN. I try and get a limit every time I fish there.
Any polls or surveys taken here will be skewered towards conservation in my opinion. This web site does not represent Minnesota anglers. Here you have avid anglers many who get out enough to make the catch & release option viable. Most anglers in the state only get out a handful of times per season. They want fish. They want to justify spending what they spend to only get out a couple of times.
I wish I was a good enough fisherman to have the problem of catching a limit. With my poor skills is never really an issue. But love to get out as much as I can.
“Secondly, which I also anticipated was the difficulty in catching 6 walleye a day worth keeping.”
Like I stated before 6 walleyes don’t have to caught in the same day. It’s a possession limit so 6 in the freezer is not to many. Or 3 in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. IMHO.
“Will reducing the limit to 4 affect harvest any more than to what extent it affects perceptions?”
Not enough to magically make all the lakes in Minnesota suddenly have large populations of catchable walleyes. Like some seem to think.
Again just my opinion.
I like to bring home my limit of bwca walleyes on my two or three bwca trips every spring/summer. Other than that, I don’t ever keep a full limit of walleyes.
Any polls or surveys taken here will be skewered towards conservation in my opinion. This web site does not represent Minnesota anglers. Here you have avid anglers many who get out enough to make the catch & release option viable. Most anglers in the state only get out a handful of times per season. They want fish. They want to justify spending what they spend to only get out a couple of times.
You are correct dutchboy and I anticipated as much and I factored that in.
This group represents avid anglers who by most accounts (responses) find it difficult at best to catch a 6 fish limit.
So what do you think the “lesser” non avid anglers chances are of catching that 6 fish limit?
The objective here (for me) was not to discern who and how many release walleyes, but to capture an overall exploitation rate with the current 6 fish limit.
I’m not shy to keep a limit of walleye. I like cold fish the next day , maybe a walleye sandwich in the lunchbox. I do give my parents “ who do not fish but like to eat it “ quite a bit in the spring when I catch most of my walleye. I am in favor of a four fish limit and have been for quite some time.
Walleye didn’t really need a limit change for reasons mentioned in this thread. I suppose it can’t hurt but it probably isn’t going to have much of an effect. I do think lotw needs tighter limits and slots. I am the same as others with rarely taking a 6 fish <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye limit.
Panfish are what really need a change. WAY more people keeping their limit of panfish especially in the spring and winter. The <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>panfish limits need to be cut in half, if not more. Per usual in Minnesota, the <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye get most of the attention. Hopefully this is a start that will help lead to lowering <em class=”ido-tag-em”>panfish limits.
I agree on all accounts you mention. I hear of more and more disappointment from lack of quality fish from LOTW, and it keeps getting hit hard. You’d hope that gets addressed.
Regarding panfish, there could be hope. I do know “the powers that be” have been knocking this walleye limit change for years and it’s finally come to vote.
It was more recent, within the past year that the DNR is looking closely at proposing changes to panfish regs. It may take a few years but maybe we can take solace that it’s not being ignored. There seems to be more support but we’ll see.
As someone who lives out of state, but does spend a good amount of time in Minnesota a year fishing. There are only 2 times a year I take a limit. Once is my brother and I’s trip to LOTW every winter. And that limit is including the 4 we eat on the ice. The other limit I take is when my brother and I take our dad on our yearly perch trip to Winnibigoshish. My dad likes to have a big family fish the Saturday after we get back with all his kids and our kids. The other big fish fry is on the 4th of July we go through the other half of the fish.
Here’s one thing I will say. I’d say a decent majority of us here are living fairly comfortable and can have the luxury of not needing to take fish to feed a family. I’m sure we all know at least one person or family where being able to catch and keep X number of fish helps offset their food costs.
How many of you and how often have you caught and kept a full 6 walleye bag limit?
That’s kind of a tricky question because I don’t fish alone. I doubt many of us do. Sometimes there are two of us and sometimes up to 5 in the boat. The more in the boat, the harder it is to get a limit for everyone. That said, I’ve caught and kept a limit a fair number of times, but we had less than a boat limit. Back in the day I did manage to get a two person 6 walleye limit a few times though. Now the lakes I fish walleye on have all gone to reduced limits.
Whether you keep limits or not, if your not breaking any laws, who cares? Its a matter of ethics, everyone has their own ethics. I have mine, and rarely keep a limit. Personally lowering the limit will not make much of a difference in my opinion, but enforcement would!
Funny this thread would come up… I just kept a 6 walleye limit for (I believe) the first time in my life on Saturday, and I was trying to remember if I had ever kept a 6 walleye limit before.
This 6 fish limit were mostly 13-15 inch fish, though. It was only enough meat for about one and a half meals for my family. Keeping six 18″ walleye is much different than keeping six 14″ walleye.
I was just looking back at a picture from the 90’s of me and my dad on a Mille Lacs launch trip with about 10 walleyes ranging from 18”-25”. Man, times have changed. I am far more conservation minded now as I can see many people here are too. I’ll keep 2-3 in that “eater” range (nothing over 20”) – that’s if I’m catching them and feel like eating fish.
I can appreciate people keeping more for a fish fry – I have been there too. I also have seen people keep limits just to say they caught one and let the fish waste away in their freezer. That’s one of the reasons I am in favor of lowering the limit, even though I am unsure it will have much of an impact.
Right or wrong, I tend to keep more fish on the big, well-known bodies of water and less on the smaller lakes I fish. I have to believe guys taking out consistent limits on smaller lakes can negatively impact a fishery pretty quickly.
How many of you and how often have you caught and kept a full 6 <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye bag limit?
Feel free to elaborate…
To answer the question,,,
I along with 1 to 2 others in my boat, I’ve come to MN to fish for walleyes once to twice a year. We used to always purchase an annual licence. now mostly just for the time that suits while we are there.
LOW has seen me once every year for 23 years strait, 4 days each on the soft water then 3 x’s on the ice for a couple of days each. I’ve been to Leach twice for 2 days each (once on ice and once on the water. Mille Lac 3 times soft water for 4 to 5 days each. Red Wing just once for a day and a half.
Caught limits?,
LOW most always 100%,
Leach = 50% of limit
Mille Lac 100% of the time (this was before the restrictions as of late were imposed).
Rarely 6 – due to the fact that the lakes I typically fish have 4-walleye limits. I do, however keep my limit whenever I can. If I travel more than 45 minutes for a walleye trip, it is pretty rare that the limit is not filled.
For walleye I seldom if ever limit for the day.
Perhaps the daily limit should drop and we go back to days of a possession limit.
What’s a walleye?
5 eyes in 15 years. (two of them would of been release had they not been bleeding so bad)
…but then I’ve only accidentally catch them.
Personal opinion to follow> Our DNR will be happy to lower the limits if the majority wants it. It’s not going to hurt the fishery so why not?
Just like any government organization, they will take the path of least resistance unless there’s a scientific reason for them not too.
We don’t know that a 4 fish limit will help any of MN’s fisheries for sure. We do know that it most likey won’t hurt it.
From what I’ve seen in talking with many avid walleye fishermen (on the river), the better the fisherman (more experience), the less fish they take home. For those of you that remember with buffets became popular in the ’80’s, people had a tendency to stack their plates high, gobble up the food and head back to the buffet “before it was gone”. After a short time, we realized the food was always going to be there and just made more trips. I think fishing has a buffet syndrome too.
Great post that makes a person think Andy!
Ask yourself “will changing the 6 fish limit going to effect me?” To all but a couple in this thread the answer will be no.
PS The folks that frequent IDO are not the average Joe Fisherman IMHO.
Several times. I was trying to find pictures of 12 and 18 walleyes in the live well for 2 and 3 guys, respectively, but either they are on my old computer or else are actual photographs. Don’t take those kind of pics anymore.
Typically catch and keep limits in the early season and have big fish fries during the week. Not all fisherman in our group can catch them.
I have to believe guys taking out consistent limits on smaller lakes can negatively impact a fishery pretty quickly.
I think that’s why a lot of people are pushing to make changes in panfish regulations. They tend to get hammered harder on smaller bodies of water, they aren’t stocked, and the season is open all year round too.
We do 1 small Walleye fish fry a year, other than than everything else we catch is C&R
Like most all limits in Minnesota. I’m not against lower Daily limits as long as they increase the possession limits to at least twice the Daily limit. It is nice to be able to have enough fish to have a family or friend Fish Fry. Unless you have a really small Family or few or no Friends that will not be possible if they cut limits in half and don’t increase possession limits.
Like most all limits in Minnesota. I’m not against lower Daily limits as long as they increase the possession limits to at least twice the Daily limit. It is nice to be able to have enough fish to have a family or friend Fish Fry. Unless you have a really small Family or few or no Friends that will not be possible if they cut limits in half and don’t increase possession limits.
x2
For walleye I keep what I am going to eat that night/next day. For a meal at my house that would be 4 eater size walleyes. I don’t have to limit out and normally toss the rest back after that. Unless I have people coming over for a fish fry. I am still not against lowering the daily limits on walleye or panfish. I will keep every legal pike I can, anything over 26” goes back. I grew up on eating mostly pike. Don’t get me wrong I like walleye better but why would you pickle walleye. When doing a fish fry cook the pike first than the walleye. The pike will be gone with no grumbles unless you say something or they find a bone.
I tend to fish special regs lakes when targeting walleye, so really I never leave with 6.
I also fish border waters a lot, which may have the same bag limit but different size limits. I’m content leaving the river with 1-2 bigger walleyes that would normally be slot fish on the lakes I fish. twenty-something inch fish make for great meals and I don’t chomp at the bit to fill out al the limits in my boat. If we’re limited to fish below 18″ then Yeah I’ll try to get my limit.
I’m also just genuinely happy to be out. If I need to fill a “quota” for a fish fry I’m targeting panfish anyway, it’s easier to accomplish IMO.
double post..
Opener, memorial weekend, 4th of July, Labor day are all long weekends i typically spend up north fishing multiple days. Most of the lakes i fish do not have special regs on them (one does but its a slot restriction not lower possession limit). If fishing is good ill keep my 6 walleye the first day then catch and release rest of the trip unless we have a fish fry. If fishing is bad ill keep what i can each day until i get my 6 allowed in possession. My idea of an eater size walleye is 14-17″ usually anything over 18″ goes back to be caught again another day.
For the record I’m fine seeing the limit lowered to 4 per person state wide. Most people have multiple people in their family allowing them to keep additional fish anyway.
I’m am out of stater and haven’t kept over a 4 daily limit, I do believe that for the few times out of staters fish in your state we should be able to bring home double the daily bag limit. Thanks for asking for my input.
Joe
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